Most common 2003 Ford Cvpi problems
Share of the 78 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Cvpi complaints by model year
Best Cvpi years: 2004, 2005. Years to avoid: 2003. Compare all years →
2003 Ford Cvpi recalls (3)
Wheels
On certain police vehicles equipped with steel wheels, some of the wheels May develop cracks in the rim near the weld line that connects the rim to the disk.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the four road wheels and spare wheel based on the wheel part number. The recall began on March 15, 2007. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-343-5338.
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
On certain police interceptors (cvpi) and commercial heavy duty (taxi) vehicles, at extremely high operating temperatures, the sound insulating panel, located under the vehicle positioned between the exhaust system and the underbody, could sag and possibly contact the surface of the catalytic converter.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the existing dash insulator and install a revised design insulator pad free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2005. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Wheels
On certain police and taxi vehicles equipped with steel wheels, some of the wheels May develop cracks in the rim near the weld line that connects the rim to the disk.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the four road wheels and spare wheel with the manufacturing date codes of August 18, 2001 through September 22, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2003 Ford Cvpi:
Fracture of the steel wheel rim
During a September 23, 2004 meeting and in subsequent discussions in November, Ford advised the office of defects investigation (odi) of their plans to introduce an improved steel wheel for manufacturing and service component use on the subject vehicles, indicating this would occur in December 2004.the new wheel design incorporates an additional manufacturing process (shot peening) which lowers tensile stress in the…
Fracture of the steel wheel rim
Fracture (cracking) of the subject vehicle (sv) wheel, which was previously investigated under preliminary evaluation pe03-009 (safety recall 03v-279), occurs in the model year (my) 2003 to 2005 police interceptor vehicles only; civilian specification and other my vehicles are unaffected by this condition.for the affected subject wheels, a fatigue crack occurs in the heat affected zone of the rim material adjacent…
What 2003 Ford Cvpi owners say
Wheels & tires all 67 →
This was a police vehicle involved in a pursuit. At approximately 110 MPH, the left front wheel cracked, the tire flattened, the operator lost control and crossed the median, the opposing lanes of traffic and impacted the guide rail. Trooper was treated and released, vehicle demolished.
I just read about the steering column recall on the crown vic, Cvpi, and grand marquis 2005-2011 and I am not sure why the 2003-2004 models are not included. They have the same issues described in this recall. I had my 2003 Cvpi in the shop less than a month ago due to some steering issues I'm having (a lot of noise during driving and while turning) and the outcome was that my car needs a steering column flex coupler (shaft, lower) and the lower ball joint (control arm) also needs replaced due to excessive corrosion. So again, I'm asking why it's not part of the recall? Also, I'm having the same issues with my tires that a lot of other Cvpi owners are having concerning the cracks in the rims. My tires only have a few thousand miles on them and I'm having to put air in the passenger rear tire about once a week due to loss of air pressure. (I'm losing about 20 psi a week on average). …
Lights
I just purchases and took possession of a 2003 Ford crown victoria police interceptor. I drove the vehicle for a couple days during daylight hours with no issues. However, on the first night I drove the vehicle (well after sunset) I experienced numerous occurrences of the headlights going out completely for extended periods of time (ranging from several seconds to several minutes). The only way I was able to continue driving the vehicle was to hold the high/low beam switch in the high beam position. If I were on an unlit road this situation could have easily resulted in a vehicle crash, potentially damaging or destroying the vehicle and injuring or killing myself and/or any nearby pedestrians. I have seen the closed investigation #pe08066, which states that the reason this issue was closed is because it has not resulted in a death. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford crown victoria Cvpi. While driving at 10 to 60 MPH the headlights would shut off intermittently at night. There were no warning lights illuminating before the headlights failed. While driving the vehicle onto the emergency lane the lights would come back on for 5 to 10 minutes or not at all. The vehicle had to be towed to a repair facility. The dealer was contacted stating that he had to pay $418 to replace the lighting control module since there were no related recalls or warranties. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 280,000.
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Cvpi. The contact purchased a police vehicle three weeks ago and found a few outsanding recalls while attempting to install different parts on the vehicle. He called the Ford manufacturer and was informed that the recall repairs had not been previously performed. They further stated that since the vehicle was not being used as a police vehicle anymore, they did not have to honor the recalls and repair it for free. The NHTSA campaign id numbers in reference were 02i003000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly), 03V279000 (wheels), 05V206000 (electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash), and 04V328000 (suspension:rear). The failure mileage was 128,000. 4/01/09 updated 04/06/09.
Fuel tank leak dealer stated that a hole had "rubbed through" the tank and that the tank would need to be replaced. This had been on-going for some time. Since the tank is bolted in place, how does it rub against something enough to wear a hole in the tank. I believe this is a design and safety flaw.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford Cvpi a good car?
Based on 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Cvpi rates avoid: 3.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cvpi at the same age. It is one of the Cvpi years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford Cvpi?
The wheels & tires — 67 complaints, 86% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rim. Next are the lights (8) and fuel & propulsion system (3).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Cvpi have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2003 Ford Cvpi, the most recent from March 6, 2007 (wheels). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Cvpi?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004 and 2005. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003. See the full Ford Cvpi years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Cvpi problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 14% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.